Purgatory Line – Dead and Gone
Grunge music may have been born out of dingey garages and basements. It may have appeared as if the genre had little chance of success. But by the time it had, nearly miraculously, acquired a global audience, grunge was ready to become something of an Olympic sport. Sure, Kurt Cobain reveled in the fact that he only needed to play power chords to get the job done. His rivals, however, knew that they were no Cobain and needed to do more.
Few musical movements were populated by musicians with more musical skill. Chris Cornell and Layne Staley brought extraordinary vocal range, a scary level of distortion, and apocalyptic lyrics to the fold. Guitarists like Mike McCready introduced Hendrix-like solos, and Jerry Cantrell composed gigantic Toni Iommi-like riffs. Drummers played weird time signatures, bassists were known to use fretless instruments, and grunge turned into a kind of progressive showdown of songs about utter doom.
Remember just what it takes to properly play grunge music (unless you’re Kurt Cobain) when you hear Purgatory Line’s “Dead and Gone.” It’s a sound that perfectly captures the spirit of the early 90s, and the subtleties of some of the best bands in the genre. But mere imitation is not what Purgatory Line are looking to achieve here, as they cover woe and destruction with macing glee. Turns out that grunge never really went away.
BATBŪRGER – Rats & Roses
And your grandchildren won’t ever understand… They’ll laugh at your clothes, at how bad video games used to be, and, if you don’t plan for it, especially at your music.
That’s how the world works, and particularly the way that the pop music world spins. Pop music is made for maximum commercial impact. However, unlike a McDonald’s burger, it can’t look the same way forever. It expires quickly. It becomes ridiculous.
There’s one exception. That, of course, is garage rock – the music of primitive gods. My prediction is that no trend, no change in technology, and not even time will manage to change this genre or the thrills it can provide.
BATBŪRGER’s “Rats & Roses” is unrefined rock n’ roll. It is, in fact, music that brings to mind the very first performers in this genre as it tries to create excitement in any way that it can. If you like this, don’t be ashamed! It’s the one thing that won’t be an embarrassment when your grandchildren hear it.
Genre: garage-rock sau alternative-rock
Rating: 75
